Feb 13

27

In Hinduism, fire as the symbol of purity, and the fire deity is called Agni Dev who is worshipped in all Hindu rituals, like havans, yagnas, ahutis, sankalp, marriage ceremonies (seven pheras around the fire). Fire destroys impurities without itself being affected.

In theKathopanishad, the second boon asked by Nachiketa to Yaksha was about Agnividya. In the Holy Bible, the authorized King James Version – Exodus 3:2, The Lord took the form of fire (agni) to deliver the Ten Commandments to Moses: “And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of Fire out of the midst of bush… and the bush was not consumed.”

Holi celebration is the victory of fire (Agni Dev) who destroyed the evil in the form of Holika. In Ramayan, Sita had to give the proof of her chastity by going through fire. The three-faced (tri-mukhi) Rudraksha also represents Agni Dev.

“Shanti agno mrityate” (“without Agni the person dies”) is a common Ayurveda saying. Out of the five elements that we are made up of, Agni whether internal or external is the most important. Its deficiency as well as excess, even in a small quantity, is harmful to the body.

Agni plays the utmost role in the evolutionary process. Every object once burnt is reduced to ash. Agni is the fire burning inside the body and, if not managed properly, can cause harm to the body. Prana, Agni and Ojas are the three main pillars of the body described in Ayurveda texts. Prana is the essence of vata; Agni of pitta and ojas of the kapha dosha. To worship fire also means to respect the agni and pitta dosha of the body. Any vow taken in front of the fire is considered equivalent to that taken in front of God and therefore are considered to be unbreakable.